If you've read our feature article entitled, "Heather's big adventure," you already know that our very own Heather McDaniel, shown in Figure A, will be one of 3,500 or so athletes to participate in the Canada->U.S. AIDS Vaccine Ride this coming September.

FIGURE A

Heather's ready to ride. Click picture for a larger image.

The courage and determination this young woman (and the thousands of other athletes like her) is showing is breathtaking. On September 5, 2001, they mount their bicycles in Montreal, Canada. As the map in Figure B shows, by the end of the first day, they'll have reached Burlington, Vermont. By the end of their trek, Heather and the other riders will have traveled some 400 miles in five days.

FIGURE B

They've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. Click picture for a larger image.

So, why are they doing this, and why am I telling you about it? Put very simply, they're doing it to raise money for AIDS research, and I'm telling you about it because I'm going to ask you to open your wallet and make a donation.

In addition to riding 400 miles, each of the participating athletes is working hard to raise donations. They're also paying out of their own pockets for equipment and transportation to and from the ride location. These are dedicated people, and their cause is just.

The Canada->U.S. AIDS Vaccine Ride will benefit the work of maverick scientists at three of the world's leading university research facilities: the UCLA AIDS Institute, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, and the Emory Vaccine Center. Net proceeds from the events will give these scientists the freedom to test bold and pioneering theories which traditional, conservative sources are often reluctant to fund. The net proceeds are given to these scientists free of restriction so that they can go to work immediately on the approaches they feel are most promising.

I've got to tell you, I'm amazingly proud of Heather. She's been training for this for months. We live in the same apartment complex. My commute (in a nice, new SUV) is about twenty minutes, including a trip up a very steep hill. Heather, by contrast, often rides her bike to work. She's been in training, taking special long-distance rides on weekends, to get further in shape. She's taken a few tumbles and gotten some scrapes, but each time, she gets back up and keeps her eye on the prize: completing that 400 mile trek.